Activists vow to fight removal of homeless

By JEFF ADELSONSun staff writer

Tuesday

May 29, 2007 at 12:01 AM

If Gainesville moves to close down a homeless camp near the city's downtown, it could find a loose coalition of activists - including some not primarily involved with the indigent -standing in its way.

About 50 people showed up for a rally in support of the 100-acre "Tent City" Monday, offering strong rhetoric and promises of protests and civil disobedience if the city attempts to evict the up to 150 people believed to live in the woods near down- town.

The efforts are in opposition to city policies that could force the homeless from the campsite, which has been in existence for at least a decade, said the Rev. Milford Griner, who organized Monday's rally.

"They're saying, 'I'm a human being, I should not be treated the way I'm being treated,' " Griner said. "We could see an uprising by the homeless, with them marching down and camping out at City Hall. That can happen."

Close to a dozen Tent City residents attended the rally, at which they were given food and other donated items.

Earlier this month, Gainesville sent notices to the landowners whose properties are part of Tent City - which is bounded by Depot Avenue, S. Main Street, Williston Road and SW 16th Avenue - warning them that they were in violation of city ordinances that prohibit camping without the proper zoning. The city has also posted "No Trespassing" signs on properties it owns that are part of the camp, but is not now enforcing these restrictions.

City officials have said their intention is to move people out of Tent City. However, they said they are still studying the issue and do not yet know when the site could be closed or what alternatives might be made available.

While it's unclear exactly what shape any effort to influence the City Commission might take, several strategies are already on the table. Those range from lobbying commissioners and holding regular events designed to keep the issue in the public eye, to keeping people in Tent City to act as "witnesses" should the city take any action against the camp.

Others said more serious, non-violent measures may also be necessary. Several advocates said they would be ready to go to jail in acts of civil disobedience if necessary to oppose the city.

"If an act of civil disobedience or an act of conscience is called for, there are people that are ready to step up and go to jail if necessary," the Rev. Dave Swanson said. Swanson and another homeless advocate were arrested in 2005 when they locked themselves in a bathroom on the Downtown Community Plaza in protest of policies that called for the restrooms to be locked at night, when the homeless might need to use them.

Jon DeCarmine, director of the Gainesville/Alachua County Office on Homelessness, said the efforts are more than just a protest against the city's policies. DeCarmine pointed to suggestions advocates are offering to either turn Tent City into a permanent, official camp or else set up alternative housing before the campsite is closed.

"We're in a unique position where people are not simply protesting what the city is doing, but have workable solutions to this problem in hand that have been presented to the city," DeCarmine said. "I think that changes the nature of this from protest to compassion."

City Commissioner Jack Donovan, the only city official in attendance at Monday's rally, said the threats of protests and civil disobedience from the advocates and discussions about shutting down the camp from the city could be seen as negotiating strategies, comparing the technique to the Cold War nuclear gamesmanship between the United States and the Soviet Union.

While the threats should be considered credible, he said it would be more productive for both sides to come together to solve the issue.

"There's a lot of sabre-rattling that goes on," Donovan said. "It's not that you don't have the sabres, it's that you don't want to use them."

Jeff Adelson can be reached at 352-374-5095 or adelsoj@gvillesun.com

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